Any Pagosan who is a fan of bluegrass music is surely familiar with Durango’s iconic local band, the Badly Bent.

Since 1997, the Badly Bent has proven its musicianship by winning prestigious music competitions while receiving accolades from many of its peers in the bluegrass industry. These boys are not newcomers to either the bluegrass scene or performing in front of large audiences.

Although their musical prowess allows them to explore the edges of traditional music, their audience will find that the music never strays far from the roots established by the founders of the genre and their love for the genuine bluegrass sound is evident every time they take the stage. The Badly Bent started with a group of well-known Durango musicians who got together to become the top of the bluegrass scene. Sharing lead vocals are Pat Dressen (guitar) and Mark Epstein (banjo). Harmony vocals provided by Robb Brophy (mandolin) and Jimmy Largent (bass), combined with the sought-after sound of Bill Adams (dobro), rounds out the ensemble of The Badly Bent. The band relies on its driving instrumentation and accurate vocals to produce the unique Badly Bent sound.

Since releasing their first, self-titled CD in February of 2005, The Badly Bent has gone on to achieve a variety of accomplishments. In March, 2005, the band’s CD was recognized on the FAR Chart. In June 2005, The Badly Bent took first place in the coveted Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s band competition. In November 2005, the band was featured on the popular bluegrassradio.org internet channel as the Band of the Month. In October of 2006, their CD was nominated for three awards by the Just Plain Folks music society. The Badly Bent released its second CD, “Olive or Twist,” in April of 2007. In that same month, “Olive or Twist” made the FAR Chart once again.

The Durango four-piece ensemble will be making its third appearance at the Folk ‘N Bluegrass festival with a main stage performance at noon on Saturday, June 5. The Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass is supported by a grant from the Colorado Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Colorado General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Festival tickets and information are available on the FolkWest web site: www.folkwest.com or by calling (877) 472-4672.